Jussie Smollett Charged With Felony For False Report

Jussie’s attorneys released the following statement … “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked.

“Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount and aggressive defense.”

He is facing 3 years in prison.

A Cook County Grand Jury handed down the indictment late Wednesday, after grand jurors heard testimonies and evaluated evidence.

We’re told Ola and Abel Osundairo — the 2 brothers — told Grand Jurors they staged the so-called “attack” at Jussie’s behest and even got paid for it. The brothers were caught on camera buying a bunch of supplies before the incident … including ski masks, gloves, bandanas, sunglasses and red hats.

Charlie De Mar

✔@CharlieDeMar

EXCLUSIVE:

I tracked down surveillance of the Osundairo’s buying supplies before “attack”

Although police officially called Jussie a “victim” until recently, multiple law enforcement sources have told us the police had real doubts about Jussie’s story early on. They found it weird he kept the rope around his neck for 42 minutes after the “attack,” and were suspicious when he took them to the scene and immediately pointed to a camera which he said captured the incident. Turns out, the camera was pointed in the wrong direction.

Abel and Ola told police they drove with Jussie in the days prior to the incident scouting a location and even rehearsed the “attack.”

Law enforcement believes Jussie timed the “attack” for January 29 because he knew the Osundairo brothers were leaving for Nigeria that day.

As for the hate mail sent to Jussie at Fox Studios in Chicago … our sources say the F.B.I. questioned Ola and Abel and are checking to see if the postal stamp on the letter matches stamps police seized at the brothers’ home … or if the ripped out magazine pages found at their pad match the cut-out letters used in the racist and homophobic letter.

We know the brothers told police they had nothing to do with the letter, and only saw it in a photo on Jussie’s phone.